The Changes of the Number of Ribbon Synapse in Inner Hair Cells of C57BL/6J Mice with Age / 听力学及言语疾病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the number changes of the ribbon synapses(RS) in the inner hair cell of C57BL/6J mice with age .Methods The cochlear basilar membrane was obtained from C57BL/6J mice in 2 ,6 ,10 , 12 months old .RIBEYE on the presynaptic membrane and AMPA receptor on the postsynaptic membrane were double labeled by immunofluorescence histochemical technique .The stained sections were observed under a confocal laser-scanning microscope .Then the number of RS of the basilar membrane was calculated by three dimensional reconstruction images using 3DS max software .Results The numbers of RS reduced gradually from the cochlear a‐pex to base in the same developing stages .The numbers of RS in apex and middle turn of cochlea were gradually re‐duced with the age increasing .The number of RS in basilar turn reduced first and increased slowly then .Conclusion The decreases of the number of RS maybe the main pathological change at the early stage of presbycusis .In addi‐tion ,there may be a kind of compensatory mechanism by increaseing the number of RS to delay the hearing deficits .